Court of appeal affirms IPOB’s status as terrorist organization
The Court of Appeal in Abuja has upheld the Federal High Court’s 2018 ruling that banned the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and designated it as a terrorist organization.
Delivering judgment on Thursday, a three-member panel of the appellate court unanimously ruled that the federal government acted lawfully in proscribing the group, citing its activities as a threat to national security and stability.
Justice Hamma Barka, who delivered the lead judgment, dismissed IPOB’s appeal, stating that all the issues raised by the group lacked merit.
The initial proscription order was issued on September 15, 2017, by the late Justice Abdul Abdu-Kafarati of the Federal High Court, following an ex-parte motion filed by then-Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami. The ruling declared IPOB’s activities illegal, particularly in the South-East and South-South regions, and prohibited individuals or groups from participating in them. The court also directed the AGF to publish the order in the official gazette and two national newspapers.
A follow-up ruling on January 22, 2018, rejected IPOB’s attempt to challenge the proscription, affirming that the government had followed due process.
Unhappy with the decision, IPOB appealed the ruling through its legal team, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Chukwuma-Machukwu Umeh. The group argued that the AGF had misrepresented facts in his affidavit and claimed that the proscription effectively labeled over 30 million Igbos as terrorists.
However, the appellate court dismissed the appeal, reaffirming the legality of IPOB’s proscription.
